Frank Lloyd Wright.

Name: Frank Lloyd Wright
Author: Frank Lloyd Wright

Franklin Lincoln Wright

Born 8 Jun 1867 Richland Center, United States

Died 9 Apr 1959 Phoenix, United States

Citizenship United States

12 min read

Reading time

2,261

Words

Mar 4, 2026

Published

Books

Awards

TL;DR

Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater completed 1937 and the Guggenheim Museum completed 1959. He pioneered organic architecture and the Prairie School style. Wright’s career spanned seven decades, during which he also founded the Taliesin Fellowship in 1932. He died at 91 from surgical complications in 1959.

Identity & family.

KIN · 9

Names, aliases, and relatives of Frank Lloyd Wright — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Franklin Lincoln Wright

PARENTS: Anna Lloyd Jones Wright William Carey Wright
SPOUSES: Olga Lazovich Milanov Miriam Noel
CHILDREN: John Lloyd Wright Lloyd Wright Iovanna Lloyd Wright Catherine Dorothy Wright
SIBLINGS: Maginel Wright Enright

At a glance.

STATS

Frank Lloyd Wright by the numbers — life, work, and family.

91 Years lived

45 Books

2 Awards

2 Marriages

4 Children

Who was Frank Lloyd Wright?

BIOGRAPHY

Frank Lloyd Wright — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Frank Lloyd Wright was born Frank Lincoln Wright on June 8, 1867, in Richland Center, Wisconsin. His father William Cary Wright was a music teacher and Baptist minister, and his mother Anna Lloyd Jones Wright was a teacher. She introduced him to Froebel’s geometric blocks, which later influenced his architectural style. Wright studied engineering at the University of Wisconsin for two years but left without graduating, then moved to Chicago to work for architect Louis Henry Sullivan from 1888 to 1893.

Career

Wright’s career began in 1893 after he was fired by Louis Sullivan for taking independent commissions. He established his own practice in Oak Park, Illinois, and originated the Prairie House style. In 1909, he eloped to Europe with Mamah Borthwick Cheney and published the Wasmuth Portfolio in 1910, which influenced European movements like Bauhaus. After the tragic murder of Mamah in 1914, Wright buried himself in work, including the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo completed 1922. He designed Fallingwater for the Kaufmann family and built it between 1935 and 1937. From 1943 until his death in 1959, he worked on the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, which opened in 1959 after his death.

Personal life

Wright married Catherine Lee Clark Tobin in 1889, and they had six children. He borrowed $5,000 from Louis Sullivan to build their first home in Oak Park. He fell in love with Mamah Borthwick Cheney in 1904, and they eloped to Europe in 1909. After her murder in 1914, Wright entered a relationship with Miriam Noel, marrying her in 1923 after finally divorcing Catherine. That marriage ended quickly due to Noel’s drug addiction. In 1924 he met Olga Olgivanna Milanoff, a ballerina, and they married in 1928. Together they founded the Taliesin Fellowship in 1932. Wright’s later years were spent at Taliesin West in Arizona, where he lived with Olgivanna until his death.

Legacy

Wright’s organic architecture philosophy has influenced generations of architects. Fallingwater was named a National Historic Landmark and remains a popular museum. The Guggenheim Museum is a major New York City landmark. Wright received the Royal Gold Medal and the Frank P. Brown Medal. He has been honored on a US postage stamp in 1966. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel dedicated the song So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright to him in 1970. He is remembered for his integration of buildings with their natural surroundings.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 2

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Frank Lloyd Wright — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Royal Gold Medal
Frank P. Brown Medal

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 45

Frank Lloyd Wright's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

Frank Lloyd Wright

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

The Future of Architecture

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

The Living City

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

The House Beautiful

by William C. Gannett et al.
Amazon

The Natural House

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

Ausgeführte Bauten Und Entwürfe

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

A Testament

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

The Drawings of Frank Lloyd Wright

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

Modern Architecture

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

Genius and the Mobocracy

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

Studies and Executed Buildings =

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

An Organic Architecture

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

Truth Against the World

by Frank Lloyd Wright
Amazon

Ausgeführte Bauten

by Frank Lloyd Wright

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Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 19

A wall of memorable lines from Frank Lloyd Wright — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Study Nature, Love Nature, Stay Close to Nature. It Will Never Fail You.
God Is the Great Mysterious Motivator of What We Call Nature, and It Has Been Said Often by Philosophers, That Nature Is the Will of God. And, I Prefer to Say That Nature Is the Only Body of God That We Shall Ever See. If We Wish to Know the Truth Concerning Anything, We’ll Find It in the Nature of That Thing.
I Feel Coming on a Strange Disease Humility.
The Mother Art Is Architecture. Without an Architecture of Our Own We Have No Soul of Our Own Civilization.
Nature Is My Manifestation of God. I Go to Nature Every Day for Inspiration in the Day’s Work. I Follow in Building the Principles Which Nature Has Used in Its Domain.
Don’t Eat It. It Will Kill You Before Your Time. Avoid It.
Early in Life I Had to Choose Between Honest Arrogance and Hypocritical Humility. I Chose the Former and Have Seen No Reason to Change.
If It Keeps Up, Man Will Atrophy All His Limbs but the Push Button Finger.
I Believe in God, Only I Spell It Nature.
I Wouldn’t Mind Seeing Opera Die. Ever Since I Was a Boy, I Regarded Opera as a Ponderous Anarchronism, Almost the Equivalent of Smoking.
Television Is Bubble Gum for the Mind.
Life Always Rides in Strength to Victory, Not Through Internationalism . . . but Only Through the Direct Responsibility of the Individual.
An Idea Is Salvation by Imagination.
The Longer I Live, the More Beautiful Life Becomes.
The Heart Is the Chief Feature of a Functioning Mind.
There Is Nothing More Uncommon Than Common Sense.
The Truth Is More Important Than the Facts.
An Expert Is a Man Who Has Stopped Thinking He Knows!
Freedom Is from Within.

Did you know?

FACTS · 13

Little-known facts about Frank Lloyd Wright — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

Frank Lloyd Wright was pictured on the 2¢ US postage stamp in the Prominent Americans series, issued 8 June 1966.
He left his family in 1909, but wife Catherine Tobin did not grant him a divorce until early 1920s.
He was father of seven children: Lloyd Wright b. 1890, John b. 1892, Catherine b. 1894, David b. 1895, Frances b. 1898, Llewellyn b. 1903 and Iovanna b. 1925.
He was grandfather of actress Anne Baxter.
He was great grandfather of actress Katrina Hodiak.
He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.
His second wife left him in 1924, although they did not divorce until 1927. While they were separated, his daughter Iovanna was born to Olga, the woman who would become his third and final wife.
He had one step-daughter, from Olga, Svetlana.
After he separated from his first wife, he began seeing Mamah Borthwick Cheney, who was separated by her husband. He dated her until she and her two children were murdered with a hatchet by one of her servants. Wright’s son John says he was never the same after this.
He began dating his second wife in 1915. She was addicted to morphine and was plagued with a mental illness that was never diagnosed.
His step-daughter Svetlana and her husband died in 1946 when their jeep ran off a bridge. Their 4-year-old son survived and Wright and his wife raised him after that.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel dedicated a song to him in their 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water: So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Wright once designed a building Mile-High Illinois which would have been 528 stories, and a total of 5,816 feet tall. Although feasible from an engineering standpoint, building promoters, maintenance crews, and firemen said it would present insoluble problems.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 39

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Frank Lloyd Wright.

When was Frank Lloyd Wright born?

Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8, 1867. His birth name was Frank Lincoln Wright, but he later changed his middle name to Lloyd. He was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.
Where was Frank Lloyd Wright born?

He was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, USA, on June 8, 1867. His family had Welsh ancestry.
When did Frank Lloyd Wright die?

He died on April 9, 1959, at the age of 91. His death occurred in Phoenix, Arizona, five days after intestinal surgery.
How old was Frank Lloyd Wright when they died?

Frank Lloyd Wright was 91 years old when he died on April 9, 1959. He was born on June 8, 1867.
Where did Frank Lloyd Wright die?

He died in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He had lived and worked at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, for many years prior.
How did Frank Lloyd Wright die?

He died from complications following intestinal surgery on April 9, 1959. The surgery was performed in Phoenix, Arizona.
What was Frank Lloyd Wright's real name?

His birth name was Frank Lincoln Wright. He later changed his middle name to Lloyd as an adult.
What did Frank Lloyd Wright do for a living?

He was primarily an architect, though his occupation is also listed as writer. He is famous for his organic architecture and buildings like Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum.
What nationality was Frank Lloyd Wright?

He was American, a citizen of the United States. He was born in Wisconsin and spent most of his life in the Midwest and Arizona.
What language did Frank Lloyd Wright speak?

His native language was English. He was born in the United States and conducted his professional life in English.
Who were Frank Lloyd Wright's parents?

His parents were Anna Lloyd Jones Wright and William Carey Wright. His father was a music teacher and Baptist minister, and his mother was a teacher.
Who was Frank Lloyd Wright married to?

He was married three times: to Catherine Kitty Tobin from 1889 to 1922, Miriam Noel from 1923 to 1927, and Olga Olgivanna Milanoff from 1928 until his death in 1959.
Did Frank Lloyd Wright have children?

Yes, he had seven children: Lloyd, John, Catherine, David, Frances, Llewellyn, and Iovanna. Additionally, he had a step-daughter, Svetlana, from his third wife Olgivanna.
Who were Frank Lloyd Wright's siblings?

He had one sibling, a sister named Maginel Wright Enright. She was an illustrator and writer.
Where did Frank Lloyd Wright go to school?

He attended Madison Central High School and later studied engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for two years, though he did not graduate.
What awards did Frank Lloyd Wright win?

He received the Royal Gold Medal and the Frank P. Brown Medal. These were major honors recognizing his contributions to architecture.
How many awards did Frank Lloyd Wright win?

He received at least two major awards: the Royal Gold Medal and the Frank P. Brown Medal. Both are prestigious in the field of architecture.
How tall was Frank Lloyd Wright?

He was 5 feet 7 inches tall, which is approximately 1.70 meters. This height is average for an American man of his era.
What was Frank Lloyd Wright known for?

He was known for pioneering organic architecture and designing iconic buildings such as Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum. He also developed the Prairie School style of architecture.
What was Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous building?

Two of his most famous buildings are Fallingwater completed 1937 and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City completed 1959. Fallingwater is renowned for its integration with a waterfall.
Did Frank Lloyd Wright design any buildings outside the US?

Yes, he designed the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, which was completed in 1922. The hotel famously survived the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923.
What was the Taliesin Fellowship?

The Taliesin Fellowship was an architectural school founded by Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife Olgivanna in 1932. It operated at Taliesin in Wisconsin and later at Taliesin West in Arizona.
Who influenced Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture?

He was influenced by his mentor Louis Henry Sullivan, known as the father of modernism. He was also influenced by Froebel’s geometric blocks given to him by his mother, and by Mediterranean architecture during his time in Europe.
What was the Prairie School style?

The Prairie School style was an architectural style developed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1890s and early 1900s. It emphasized horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs, and integration with the landscape.
Did Frank Lloyd Wright ever serve time in prison?

No, he never served prison time, though he faced legal troubles. In 1926, his third wife’s ex-husband tried to have them arrested, but charges were dropped.
What happened to Frank Lloyd Wright's first love, Mamah Borthwick Cheney?

Mamah Borthwick Cheney, with whom Wright had an affair, was murdered in 1914 at Taliesin along with her two children and several servants. One of Wright’s male servants set fire and committed the murders.
How did Frank Lloyd Wright meet his third wife?

He met Olga Olgivanna Milanoff in 1924. She was a ballerina with the Russian Ballet in Chicago. They married in 1928.
What was Wright's relationship with the Kaufmann family?

The Kaufmann family, owners of Kaufmann Department Store, became patrons of Wright in 1934. They commissioned Fallingwater, which became his masterpiece. Edgar Kaufmann Sr. also funded other projects like Broadacre City.
What is the significance of Fallingwater?

Fallingwater, completed in 1937, is considered Wright’s masterpiece. It was designed for the Kaufmann family and is built over a waterfall, exemplifying organic architecture. It served as a family home until 1963 and is now a museum.
What is the Guggenheim Museum?

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1959. Its distinctive spiral shape was intended to create a continuous flow for viewing art. Wright did not live to see its completion.
Did Frank Lloyd Wright design any unbuilt projects?

Yes, he designed the Mile-High Illinois skyscraper, which would have been 528 stories and 5,816 feet tall. It was deemed feasible but faced practical objections from building promoters, maintenance crews, and firemen.
Is there a song about Frank Lloyd Wright?

Yes, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel dedicated the song So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright on their 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water.
What was Frank Lloyd Wright's relationship with Louis Sullivan?

Wright worked for Louis Sullivan from 1888 to 1893, considering him a mentor. However, Sullivan fired Wright over disputes about Wright taking independent commissions. Wright later established his own practice.
Where is Frank Lloyd Wright buried?

His ashes were interred in the memorial garden at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, alongside his third wife Olgivanna. Earlier, he was buried near his mother and Mamah in Wisconsin, but his ashes were moved per his widow’s wish.
Did Frank Lloyd Wright have any famous descendants?

Yes, his granddaughter is actress Anne Baxter, and his great-granddaughter is actress Katrina Hodiak.
What was Wright's first independent commission?

After being fired by Sullivan in 1893, Wright opened his own office in Oak Park, Illinois. His early independent projects included the Winslow House in River Forest, Illinois, completed in 1893.
What was the Wasmuth Portfolio?

The Wasmuth Portfolio was a collection of Wright’s architectural drawings published in Berlin in 1910. It introduced his work to Europe and influenced movements like Bauhaus and Constructivism.
How did Wright's childhood influence his architecture?

His mother gave him Froebel’s geometric blocks, which developed his three-dimensional vision. He also credited his father’s music, especially Bach, for giving him a sense of harmony that he applied to architecture.
What happened to Taliesin after Wright's death?

After Wright’s death in 1959, his widow Olgivanna managed the Taliesin Fellowship until her death in 1985. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation now oversees the properties.

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Sophia has 4 years of editorial experience and a habit of becoming the person any team leans on when they need to know where something stands. At Famousy, she manages the content pipeline, coordinates reviews, and handles the detail work that keeps a large editorial operation from falling apart. She reads a lot of profiles in the process and she's developed a sharp instinct for when something doesn't feel right. She flags it. It usually is.

Published on March 4, 2026

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